Cowboy Bebop: Live Through it
by ZX-Tole
Summary: An uncompleted series that might actually get finished someday...
1. Cowboy's Don't Sing Dirges

This is a fanfic I thought up after seeing the end of Cowboy Bebop. If you  
haven't seen the end yet, then there will be a TON of spoilers and such, and I  
won't make any guarantees that you'll like the direction of this fanfic. I guess  
you could consider it a bit of a writing experiment, but that's enough of that.  
Who knows, I might even continue the series in my own way. I'm planning on  
writing another fic after this one featuring Ed and Ein, but I'll have to see  
where this one goes first. I also wrote this to some of my favorite songs from  
the series, and I have to admit that it helped a lot (all I have to say is...  
Green Bird!!!).  
  
All the usual disclaimers apply. I don't own or claim to own any of the characters  
that I use in this story (unless I make them up), and those rights belong solely  
to the respective owners/creators who made that masterpiece. Only copies made on  
Beta cassetes are to be produced (I still can't get enough of the Beta reference  
in episode 18).  
  
Anyway, I give to you:  
  
==================================================================================  
  
Cowboy Bebop:  
  
Cowboy's Don't Sing Dirges  
  
==================================================================================  
  
In the black depths of space, a star slowly flickered and died, and Spike lay on  
the stairs bleeding. Just moments ago he fought his final battle against Vicious,  
and even the memory of that was starting to fade. Only one thing remained clear in  
his mind, those few hours ago when Julia had died.  
  
Spike: (thinking to himself) Soon... I'll see you again...  
  
Like a movie playing in slow motion, the vision replayed itself until everything  
went black, and Spike stopped breathing.  
  
---  
  
Meanwhile, back on the Bebop...  
  
Faye was watching her tape over again trying to get over her last meeting with  
Spike. It felt awfully lonely here with only Jet, and he was keeping to himself  
in his bonsai room.  
  
Even though her memory had finally returned, what use was it if she couldn't  
even see the people or places that she remembered, let alone anyone to tell  
it to. Even Ed or at worst Ein would listen to what she had to say, and they had  
left on their own quite a while ago.  
  
After she started to get lost in thought, the Beta deck proceeded to eat her tape,  
and after she finally noticed, she started beating furiously at the deck until a  
small trail of smoke started leaving it after it finally stopped.  
  
Faye: Damn it... And how much will it cost to get that fixed?..  
  
---  
  
At the same time in Jet's Bonsai room...  
  
Jet had just accidentally cut another branch off of one of his bonsai trees while  
he was recalling the last time he had seen Spike, and he was also trying to make  
sense of Spike and his past from what Spike had told him. Usually his hobby would  
relieve some of his stress, but today was different.  
  
Jet: (to himself) I guess I'll go look for him in the morning. There's nothing I  
can do now.  
  
He then returned to his endless task of keeping his bonsai trees properly pruned  
and watered trying to lose himself again in his work. His last meal was uneasily  
churning in his stomach when he eventually turned in for the night.  
  
---  
  
The information about the fall of the Red Dragon sydicate reached the streets by  
early morning, and it didn't take Jet long to find out what had happened. He  
reluctantly trudged his way toward the high rise where Spike's last battle  
with Vicious had taken place.  
  
After pulling a few strings with the local authorities, he made it into the  
building without too much effort. He found out about some other deaths that  
occured before the fall of the Red Dragons, such as a local shop keeper named  
Annie and another woman named Julia who was found on the roof of the same  
building.  
  
It wasn't long until he made his way past the police lines on the top floors  
where he saw Spike laying on the stairs with the local coroner around his  
body doing the required checks. Surprisingly, when Jet looked closely, he noticed  
the serene look on Spike's face.  
  
Jet: (to himself) I wish you wouldn't have done this on your own...  
  
Coroner: (looking up from his work) Did you know him?  
  
Jet: (sadly) Yeah, I was his partner...  
  
Coroner: After seeing all these wounds, I'm surprised that he made it this far down  
the stairs.  
  
Jet: He always pushed his limits too far, and I guess this time he wasn't planning  
on coming back.  
  
Coronor: Did you know how many guys might have done this by any chance?  
  
Jet: Just him.  
  
Coroner: You're kidding...  
  
Jet: (with an angry tone) Do you think I would at a time like this?  
  
Coroner: I assume you'll take care of the burial, since there's no local record  
of family.  
  
With a dimal nod, Jet answered the question.  
  
---  
  
After the necessary forms were filled out, Jet returned to the Bebop with a solemn  
look on his face. Faye could tell right away what the news must have been, but  
when Jet actually said it the shock was still not small.  
  
Faye: (yelling) LIAR!!  
  
She then ran to her quarters where she locked herself in and cried for about five  
hours. Jet tossed back a couple glasses of the bottle of wine that Spike had left,  
and sulked in his own way.  
  
Jet: (to himself) Don't worry Spike, I'll save you some...  
  
---  
  
Shortly, arrangements were made for two side by side burial plots, and after the  
cost for the burials alone, the open casket exhibition was canceled. After a few  
more legal procedures, Spike and Julia were finally united for eternity side by  
side in a plot outside one of the local churches.  
  
The procession was fairly short with only Faye and Jet in attendance. Jet had dug  
out one of his old suits from when he was in the ISSP, and Faye had on another  
stunning attire from a recent trip shopping for the occasion.  
  
After the procession was over and both Spike and Julia had been buried, Jet returned  
with the remaining contents of the wine bottle. He slowly emptied the rest of the  
contents onto the ground between the two plots, and stood there silent for a few  
minutes.  
  
Jet: Have I ever broken a promise Spike?  
  
With that, he went back to the Bebop without looking back.  
  
---  
  
The next morninig, Faye didn't feel like getting out of bed, and Jet was locked up  
in his bonsai room again. With both Ed and Ein gone, the ship was completely quiet,  
and that left an uncomfortable feeling with both of them.  
  
After the funeral expenses, they were in dept even more, and with their lack of  
enthusiasm for bounty hunting at the moment, the cash flow was at an all time low.  
Both were content to do nothing until each had their feelings sorted out some way,  
and that didn't seem in the very near future.  
  
Faye looked up at her broken Beta deck to see 12:00 flashing, since she hadn't  
figured out how to set the VCR clock or timer yet. Still, that wouldn't matter  
until she found someone to buy it for a high price or fix it for a fairly low  
price, and with fewer and fewer people even knowing what a Beta deck is, it seemed  
less and less likely for it to get fixed.  
  
Begrudgingly, she finally got out of bed only to find that she had stayed there  
for about 26 hours. After a quick trip to the restroom, she found Jet asleep  
against the wall in his bonsai room. Apparently he had been drinking due to some  
of the various liquer bottles that littered the floor.  
  
She next went to the kitchen, but she left shortly after finding she didn't feel like  
eating. After smoking a few cigarettes in the living room, she turned on the monitor  
to see if there was anything actually worth watching. After flipping through the  
available channels, she came across on a report on the fall of the Red Dragon  
syndicate that finally made its way to the public news, but its value fell short  
when it didn't cover anything about Spike's fight with Vicious.  
  
---  
  
Later, after Jet had got up, the local authorities dropped off anything of Spike's  
that they didn't need for evidence which included his empty Jericho 941, and a few  
other assorted objects. This didn't ease any of the sadness permeating the air, and  
in fact, it only helped to make it seem that much deeper.  
  
Eventually, they began to let reality take over again, and decided that they needed  
to get a local bounty if they wanted to keep anything of Spike's (or their own for  
that matter). After following a few false leads, Faye and Jet cornered a local  
loan shark that was wanted for manslaughter, and they proceded to turn him in  
for the 20,000 that he was worth. Now with a little cash on hand, they got out  
of the funeral dept, but that still left them with the dept they had from before.  
  
Jet: (thinking) We have our work cut out for us.  
  
During the evening meal that Jet had prepared (without meat again of course), they  
started to discuss the future.  
  
Jet: You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I'd understand.  
  
Faye: That's alright... It's just kind of hard being here knowing that Spike isn't  
coming back.  
  
Jet: To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if both you and I could support this place  
now that Spike is gone, and I don't think that we will be able to keep up like  
we used to.  
  
Faye: I know... Everything was finally starting to fit in place for me, but I didn't  
think it would fall apart this quickly. What good is getting my memory back  
when everyone around me leaves.  
  
Jet: (quietly) I'm still here...  
  
Faye: Huh? Did you say something?  
  
Jet: (blushing a little) Um, no... I uh... didn't...  
  
Faye: Oh...  
  
The rest of the meal went in silence, and they eventually sat done by the monitor  
to see if there were any other good local bounties that they could follow up on  
tomorrow. The immeadiate future wasn't looking too great, but at least it wasn't  
as bleak as the last few days had been.  
  
---  
  
Days came and went with Faye and Jet getting most of the bounties that they were  
after, but the death of Spike still took the joy out of most of life. They decided  
to try to live life as best they could considering the circumstances, so they  
renovated the Bebop a little to keep it up to date. Of course, that left them in  
an even greater debt, but with a little hard work and a lot of time, things would  
all work out.  
  
Dinner conversations between the two of them became more and more like before  
Spike had died, and A partnership was in the works as well...  
  
Jet: You know, I've been thinking about getting another partner...  
  
Faye: Really?..  
  
Jet: Yeah, and I think I can trust you enough now to ask you.  
  
Faye: What do you mean by 'now'?  
  
Jet: Well, you have been know to run off before...  
  
Faye: (starting to glare) Time's change don't they Jet...  
  
Jet: (a little uneasily) Yeah, they sure do, but would you consider it?  
  
Faye: (starting to glare less) Yes, I think I would.  
  
The rest of the dinner conversation dealt with more recent matters such as  
which bounty to go after and the normal dinner chit chat. With time, the  
Bebop would be back on both feet, but there still was that matter with the  
partnership.  
  
---  
  
The End of  
  
Cowboy Bebop:  
  
Cowboy's Don't Sing Dirges  
  
---  
  
Well, it looks like I'm going to have to write a series after all, and I don't think  
that it would pose too much of a problem (unless you count the time it takes away  
from my original story). Anyway, I hope you liked this prelude to what I've got  
planned. Actually I haven't got much besides this yet, but I like the direction  
that it's going in. Send any questions or comments over to "zx-tole@geocities.com"  
I'd really appreciate some feedback on anything that I've written. 


	2. Tomorrow Only Seems Dark

This is the continuation of the fanfiction series that I started with the small  
prelude called "Cowboy Bebop: Cowboy's Don't Sing Dirges." You must have been  
remotely interested in what I had written so far to have a look at this, so I'll  
just keep going in the direction that I started. Again I wrote this to the same  
songs, and it still helps... Oh, and by the way, I probably won't add too many  
smoking scenes unless they are really dramatic, since I assume that everyone  
(except Ed) smokes more than most chimneys.  
  
Anyway, I do not own or claim to own any of the characters, and they are the  
property of their respective creators and rights owners. Until I can find an  
official contiuation of the series, I'll just have to make my own. If the  
authorities eventually start to crack down on fanfiction, then I'll just  
tell them that it was the six-fingered man.  
  
So here it is:  
  
=================================================================================  
  
Cowboy Bebop:  
  
Tomorrow Only Seems Dark  
  
=================================================================================  
  
The sun overhead was not letting up, and Ed found herself trying to hitchhike on  
a desert road after her scooter gave out a few miles back. Apparently, after  
carrying Ed and Ein a few hundred miles throught the sand, it ran out of gas  
and the engine blew. Anyway, there hadn't been any cars for at least an hour, and  
it would be even longer since nothing appeared on the horizon.  
  
Ed: Water...  
  
Ein barked in agreement, and they both sat there as time apparently decided to  
stand still. Later, Ein got out of the little carrying bag that Ed had on her back  
and sniffed at the small computer that was laying at his side as it started to  
collect sand.  
  
Ed saw what Ein was up to and proceeded to shake out a few handfulls of sand  
that had collected in the fans. After a few good shakes, sand stopped slowly  
pouring out of the computer and Ed set it back down where it started collecting  
more sand as the wind blew a little.  
  
Ed: Vacation stinks...  
  
---  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
After getting enough money for gas and for the trip,The Bebop had just left a  
nearby jump gate, and Faye and Jet were trying to figure out if there was a   
bounty that was worth enough to keep them going. However, the their choices were   
severely limited. The only one that surpased the 1 million mark was a bounty that  
had no listed appearance or locality, and that seemed more trouble than it was worth.  
Their best bet was an unknown drug dealer near their landing destination worth 30,000.  
  
Jet: There isn't much to look at is there?  
  
Faye: (staring off into space) Nope...  
  
Jet: There isn't much food either...  
  
Faye: (still staring) Nope...  
  
Jet: Are you even listening?  
  
Faye: (staring some more) Nope...  
  
Jet: Did you know that I suffer fits of narcolepsy while driving?  
  
Faye: Huh?..  
  
Jet: Oh, it's nothing...  
  
Faye: It's just that I thought I heard you say something weird...  
  
They sat there working their own thoughts out for a couple of more minutes  
while the auto pilot program was keeping them in orbit.  
  
Faye: You know what? It actually would be nice to have someone like Ed around  
to make it seem less empty.  
  
---  
  
After a car finally drove past without even glancing at Ed, she decided to pick  
up her computer and see if there was anything she could hack into that might  
mean a free ride.  
  
After a few sucessfull hacking trips into some local satelites, Ed found her way  
into the Bebop central navigational system. So, after a few computer formalities,  
Ed picked up her remote control (that was pretty dusty after being out in the   
desert but was otherwise functional), and she proceded to guide the Bebop into a  
rough re-entry.  
  
---  
  
All of a sudden, the Bebop started to shake violently, and Jet and Faye rushed  
to the bridge as fast as they could falling a couple times each on the way. When  
they finally reached the bridge, a big smilely face greeted them in Ed's voice.  
  
Smilely Face: Hello!  
  
Faye: Well, at least we know what's going on now...  
  
Jet: Ed! Stop that!  
  
The smilely face frowned a little and looked down towards the ground pitifully.  
  
Smilely Face: Aww... Do I have to?  
  
Jet & Faye: Yes!  
  
Smilely Face: O-key do-key...  
  
With that the smilely face disappeared, leaving Jet and Faye to scramble to  
restart any re-entry procedures. Every once and a while, Ed's little smilely faces  
would pop up on the screen and offer suggestions, comments, or just random  
gibberish (which seems to be Ed's specialty).  
  
Jet: Stop that too!  
  
Smilely Faces: (blaring over the speakers) Aww...  
  
Faye: I think I'm going deaf...  
  
Jet: What's that? I can't hear you. My ears are still ringing.  
  
After a few more setbacks, the Bebop safely re-entered the Earth's atmosphere,  
and for a few minutes, Ed took control of the ship again making it do a few  
flips, turns, and whatever else she could think of. Then, Jet severed the  
connection lines to any non system linked computers and shut Ed off until  
they finally landed near where Ed had been waiting for a ride.  
  
---  
  
Ed greeted everyone with a smile on her face with Ein back in his carrying  
pack as both Faye and Jet came out the bay doors.  
  
Jet: (to Faye) Now that I think about it... this doesn't seem like such a good  
idea anymore...  
  
Faye: (to Jet) Shouldn't we have let her just stay here?  
  
Ed: You both say somethin'?  
  
Jet & Faye: Nope...  
  
Ed: Oh, ok!  
  
---  
  
Faye and Jet left Ed alone in the ship while they went to look for supplies  
and bounty information, and Ed spent most of her time prancing around in that  
impressionist dancer on crack routine while Ein just walked around sniffing  
things. Ein stopped short of Spike's old room and barked, and Ed came after  
a few seconds.  
  
Ed: Where'd Spike go?  
  
She then followed Ein to the ever empty fridge and proceeded to gnaw on the  
rack.  
  
Ed: Hungry...  
  
---  
  
Faye and Jet split up to look through various bars and hangouts that hadn't  
been destroyed recently by falling debris from the new asteroid belt around  
the Earth from when the first jump gate blew up along with a big chunk of the  
moon. The locals weren't too happy with a couple of bounty hunters around, but  
it wasn't too hard to find the information that they needed. Eventually, they  
met at another local bar, and exchanged information.  
  
Jet: So what'd you get?  
  
Faye: A fat thirty-year old with a mustache and a bleeding heart tatoo.  
  
Jet: So that's our guy is it?  
  
Faye: No, that's the guy who wouldn't stop hitting on me.  
  
Jet: Oh...  
  
Faye: So how about you?  
  
Jet: Just this picture from a guy who said he got some bad drugs from him.  
  
They both looked at the picture with a balding middle-aged man who kind of  
looked like an older and fatter version of Patrick Stewart. Needless to say  
they weren't trilled by the chase.  
  
Faye: So that's him?  
  
Jet: Yep.  
  
Faye: Ain't much to look at...  
  
Jet: Does that matter?  
  
Faye: Well, if I'm going to throw myself at him to get his attention, I'd like  
there to be at least some mutual attraction, or I might sound too fake.  
  
Jet: That never stopped you before...  
  
Faye: Oh, shut up...  
  
Jet: You know what? We probably wouldn't have these problems if 'Big Shot' hadn't  
been canceled...  
  
Faye: I hope Ed isn't up to something...  
  
---  
  
Ed was laying on the floor in that moving walls room (not sure exactly what that  
could be called) with a half empty bottle of scotch that she found in Jet's   
Bonsai room. Ein was also there and was content with just lying right beside her.  
  
Ed: What's this?.. (sniffs it) It doesn't smell to good, but I wonder how it  
tastes?  
  
With that she took a small sip of the bottle and gaged a little as it burned  
going down her troat.  
  
Ed: That tickles! Ein you want some?  
  
Ein opened one of his eyes and yawned signifying he could care less.  
  
Ed: Okey, more for me!  
  
With that she started drinking more and more heavily and eventually passed  
out about 1/8 of the way into what was left from Jet.  
  
---  
  
After ducking through a couple alleys in pursuit of their prey, Jet and Faye  
had finally apprehended the Patrick Stewart look-a-like, and took him to the  
local authorities to collect their bounty.  
  
Jet: At least we'll get something decent to eat tonight.  
  
Faye: Might as well do some shopping while we're out.  
  
Jet: Alright, but I'm holding the money.  
  
Faye: Aw, no fair...  
  
In a little while, after buying a few choice vegtables and some cheap beef,  
they returned to the Bebop to find Ed sleeping with the bottle of scotch.  
  
Jet: Damn it, how does she always manage to get into my stuff?  
  
Faye: Just let her sleep. I'll put her somewhere while you go make dinner.  
  
Jet: Fine...  
  
Their evening meal was better than usual (not much to compare to), and everyone  
left the table satified. Faye and Jet were about to go to their own rooms when  
Ed suddenly spoke up.  
  
Ed: Where'd Spike go?  
  
Both Faye and Jet weren't sure how to answer the question, so Faye prodded Jet  
into answering.  
  
Jet: Well... Spike's still on Mars.  
  
Ed: When will he be back?  
  
Jet: Probably never, he's with Julia now...  
  
Ed: Oh, Okey!  
  
With that said, Faye and Jet left the room discussing what had just happened.  
  
Faye: Are you sure we should just leave it at that?  
  
Jet: Yeah, I'm sure she'll find out some way, but until then I just can't  
get myself to tell her. You were at least mature enough to understand  
what it meant.  
  
Faye: Yeah, I see your point, but we should tell her someday.  
  
Jet: Yeah, someday...  
  
---  
  
The End of  
  
Cowboy Bebop:  
  
Tomorrow Only Seems Dark  
  
---  
  
Well, that's the end of another installment of my new fanfiction series, and I  
hope you liked it. I tried to brighten things up a bit from the last installment,  
and my appoligies go out to anyone who expected a completely dramatic fic this  
time around too. Anyway, send some email over to "zx-tole@geocities.com" as I'd  
really like to hear from anyone who has some vague opinion on my fanfiction. I'm  
really starting to crank these out now, and I hope I can keep the same pace going. 


End file.
